VISIONS FOR RURAL SCOTLAND

People's vision for rural Scotland is most clearly articulated in terms of the balance, vibrancy and viability of rural communities. A population structure, balanced between young and old, occupation, class, locals to incomers and different cultures is the desired end-result. There is then a host of other visions which, in the main, contribute to this.

The words used to describe healthy populations and communities include "vibrant", "lively", "viable and "healthy". It is not seen as a static situation but one in which there is "renewal and regeneration" and the potential to be "self-sustaining". An increase of population in more marginal areas and "a reversal of the out-migration trend" is looked for.

Above all, a healthy community would be one "where young people want to live". The retention of young people, or the ability to attract them back, is taken as a basic indicator of viability.

Healthy communities would be "inclusive" and not divided by excessive inequalities. The vision is of greater fairness in economic and other opportunities, rather than cultural homogeneity.

The link between balanced populations and the quality of services is noted: "Communities in rural areas will be a sufficient size to retain and sustain local facilities such as a shop, primary school etc.".

"The over-riding aim must be to create healthy population structures within rural communities. Incumbent upon this is the provision of economic, social, educational, and cultural opportunities which can sustain a healthy population".

It is recognised that vibrant communities are built on practical foundations and a host of visions on employment, housing, access to services, education and so on are expressed.

ECONOMY

Central to viable communities is a strong local economy. It is recognised that the rural economy is part of larger economic processes, but equally it is seen as having its own distinct features:

"A rural economic base depending on a balanced sustainable economic system, of an appropriate scale for the area, with a large positive balance of payment deriving from value being added to local produce, and import substitution"

"Small scale, locally based and controlled businesses, where income generated remains within the community"

The importance of careful management of the economy is recognised: "... efficient and well thought out policy and practice in traditional industries such as farming, fishing and forestry, with a particular emphasis on exports".

EMPLOYMENT

People are seen as able to live and work in rural areas by virtue of their employment. A strong and diverse economy is seen as going hand in hand with an "increased diversity and quality of employment opportunities".

Such jobs enable communities to hang on to their youth and vitality by "retaining talent".

Distinct characteristics and patterns to rural work are envisaged: "An integrated approach to employment, for example between sectors such as fishing and agriculture"

HOUSING

Clearly, if people are to stay in an area, they need a place to live. Aspirations for homes are summed up by "Appropriate, affordable and available housing in rural areas". Linked to this vision is a hope that restrictions on the availability of land and what might be done with it could be eased. A certain priority for local people is implied.

ACCESS TO SERVICES

The vision is of "A place where rural communities are given adequate service provision in their own area". The ideal is described in terms of appropriate services, of a suitable standard, that all people can access.

Information exchange is seen as an important service in itself and a key to making other services more accessible. Equally, transport is regarded as a vital element in service delivery. The view is expressed that a rural area with effective services would be "a place where the specific and unique requirements for supported subsidised transport provision are recognised, particularly with reference to island communities where transport creates major obstacles to development".

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

People see education, from pre-school to university level, as central to improving quality of life. This vision extends to training which is seen as bridging education and employment. Education and training would take on more of the particular features and unique characteristics of the areas in which it was based.

"School and life-long learning at the centre of the community"...

"Education will be more readily accessible and a University in the Highlands will be under development" ...

Training will be provided locally with greater flexibility to encourage those in part-time employment ... the quality of training will be high and relevant to those living in rural areas".

"The delivery of training will be undertaken in imaginative ways using high technology, block release and on the job training".

"Build up of local skill-base through training".

DEMOCRACY AND PARTICIPATION

In a future rural Scotland, people wish to see themselves with greater opportunities to participate in shaping their lives. They also wish to be fairly represented. Central to this vision is greater local involvement in the decision making process and a greater ability to manage local resources.

"A more localised, democratic and accountable decision making process ... authentic empowerment of individuals and communities and greater transparency and accountability at the decision making level"...

"Local accountability" ... " Local empowerment" ...

"Authentic community representation and participation"...

" ... greater local control of natural resources".

SUSTAINABILITY

Visions for sustainable development emphasise the link between economy and environment.

"Our dream of Scotland is of a place where careful environmental policy and long term planning has resulted in an enhanced and restored natural environment. ... The (resulting) increase in available resources is at least as important as the purely ecological benefits."

CULTURE

As with the environment, the vision for culture is one in which our existing treasures are protected and enhanced, and a proper set of measures are in place to ensure their long term future.

" ... varied and unique culture ... sound and encouraged to develop".

" ... local identity, diversity and collective self confidence".

"Proper recognition of the role of culture and its economic potential".

CURRENT REALITIES

Inevitably, the realities identified tend to be the problems faced by rural people. Some realities, however, are positive aspects of rural living which may be maintained and enhanced.

Rural Scotland is recognised as having certain features that present particular challenges to policymakers: remoteness, scattered populations which are difficult to service, high transport costs, and so on. There are benefits associated with some of these characteristics. Individuals and communities may have a strong sense of identity. There is a distinct culture and set of traditions. People are self-reliant and have different aspirations. It is a safer and healthier environment to live in.

Nonetheless, most realities reflect a feeling that problems are not being tackled in the best, or most efficient manner, and that opportunities are being missed. There is as much a call for better use of existing resources as for extra support. The sub-section on "integration and co-ordination" summarises peoples' views on the reality of existing management.

POPULATION

In certain areas, there is felt to be excessive "outward migration of people". Particularly of the young and active which leaves rural areas diminished in terms of the economic and social options they offer to those that remain.

People refer to an "exodus of youth" and a "loss of talent". "Young people are leaving island and rural communities because of lack of employment, housing and other opportunities". The result is "ageing populations".

Incomers can bring new blood and enthusiasm, but often have different values from locals. This may be seen as a threat, as in comments referring to the "dilution of indigenous population and lack of understanding of way of life".

People feel that the quality and cohesion of their communities is being threatened by growing divisions; "exclusion" and signs of a "two-tier" society. Differences between "incomers" and "locals" are exacerbated unnecessarily. Exclusion is reinforced by negative trends in a range of areas such as employment, housing and service provision.

In many areas there is a "lack of confidence". A sense of "pessimism" and "cynicism" about the prospects for improvement. People may feel "powerless". There is a "lack of local people willing to act as leaders".

Rural areas close to cities are seen as being particularly vulnerable to the "bleeding of community life to nearby urban centres".

ECONOMY

Rural economies are generally thought of as being in poor health. People refer to "fragile local economies" where "value-adding is not occurring locally". It is felt that "there is a declining manufacturing economy in rural areas and reliance on the service sector is not seen as sustainable".

There is a feeling that the economic approaches being pursued elsewhere are not always the most beneficial for rural areas: "Market forces do not help the rural economy".

Traditional rural industries are seen as threatened. Again attention is drawn to the negative effect of external priorities: "farms are polarising in size to large scale V's small scale initiatives with a problem area for medium sized farms" ... "crofting is in overall decline" ... "the CAP is not helpful to rural Scotland" ... "fishery regulations are destroying Scotland's fishing industry".

Many rural people are caught between higher prices and lower wages. "The generally higher prices in rural areas along with lower wages ensure that less money is available within the local economy. The inability of local shops to compete with larger stores entails that people shop elsewhere and this in turn ensures that prices have to increase further at local level. The higher cost of petrol adds to the cost of transport, of which there is inadequate provision, and rural households often require at least one car as a matter of necessity".

Transport is often seen as one of the most disproportionate costs: "It is cheaper to go to Paris than Stornaway" ... "The cost of transport for the delivery of goods to rural areas and the transporting of goods from rural areas is prohibitive".

EMPLOYMENT

Employment in rural areas was characterised as having limited options and low wages: "Low pay industries are prevalent in rural areas".

There is a perception that many rural areas suffer from high unemployment, that employment opportunities are decreasing, and that stability or certainty in job markets is a thing of the past. Employment demanded a high degree of mobility which prevented people from remaining in an area and contributing to the community.

Peoples' views are of an overly narrow economic base with resulting "over dependence on certain employers and a lack of diversity".

To obtain a sufficient salary, it was felt that many people had to maintain several jobs, adapt to seasonal patterns of employment and move between the formal and informal economy.

HOUSING

The view is expressed that the reality for many people, especially the young or those on low incomes, is that housing is simply not available.

That which is available to those of limited means is frequently below tolerable standards. The options for those unable to buy are curtailed by "less diversity of housing types and tenure" and a "Private rented sector in poor condition".

People perceive a growing problem of rural homelessness and a worrying level of "Hidden homelessness".

Housing difficulties for local people are compounded by houses going for second homes. Attention is drawn to the negative consequences of peoples' homes and working lives being separated: "People live in the community but work elsewhere".

ACCESS TO SERVICES

There is a feeling that services have difficulty in reaching out to rural people and, in turn, rural people are often limited in their ability to meet providers 'half-way'.

Poor co-ordination of services is thought to limit their accessibility. Likewise, inadequate information prevents people from taking up services. A centralisation of service provision is noted which also reduces their extension. Views expressed describe " ... a lack of quality services for rural areas" .. "services are being withdrawn". Often people do not have the information that would tell them what services are available.

People in rural areas with low incomes do not have the ability to buy in services. Nor can they afford to overcome the practical barriers to access. Chief amongst these is child care. Relative to their urban counterparts, rural parents feel that child care services are scant and expensive.

Transport is referred to as a second major hurdle. Those without a private car can find themselves severely limited in their access to services, or heavily reliant on the goodwill of others. Paradoxically, the difficulties people have in reaching out to services can lead to a situation in which "services are underused".

The lack of in-situ services and a "general lack of choice" is seen as instrumental in forcing people, especially elderly, to move away.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

References are made to: "Inadequate pre and post school education" and "a lack of higher education". A lack of "extra-curricular activities and specialist teachers" is noted. The quality of rural schools is thought to vary considerably between regions.

" ... no positive linkage between training and employment".

"lack of training at a local level".

The above quotes convey a feeling that training provision is generally inadequate or inappropriate. It tends not to train people in the sorts of activities that go on in their area, and is often delivered without sufficient flexibility to be useful to those who have shifting work patterns.

DEMOCRACY AND PARTICIPATION

There is a feeling that "policies are made elsewhere" and that they are applied with little or no sensitivity to rural areas. The communication of decision making to people is poor, an issue felt particularly strongly in relation to the planning system. There is mutual misunderstanding. Organisations are accused of lacking flexibility in their dealings with local people.

Consultations are not felt to be a genuine opportunity for people to become involved: "Local people do not always feel that they have been adequately consulted or enabled to participate".

There is unease about the role of unelected bodies.

Community Councils in particular are seen as a disappointment and a lost opportunity. People refer to difficulties in getting people involved, the lack of a clear role or function, under funding and a generally low profile.

SUSTAINABILITY

The rural environment is thought by many to be moving away from sustainability. People express a "concern about the degeneration of the natural environment". Threats are typically associated with economic activities in rural areas: "Current activities damage ecology and landscape".

CULTURE

Traditional cultural attributes are widely seen as retreating or under threat, for example a "threat to Gaelic language and culture". Cultural activities are seen as the frequent victims of underfunding and unavailability in rural areas:"cultural and artistic activities are poorly supported and scattered".

On the activities and interests of young people, it is felt that there is a "lack of social activities and venues".

INTEGRATION AND CO-ORDINATION

People are primarily concerned with the failure to integrate and co-ordinate amongst agencies. This is most noticeable in relation to social services and transport. The reality of rural policy and implementation is perceived as being without adequate integration or co-ordination.

"Current fragmentation of approach is a poor use of resources to produce an inferior result" ... "it favours competition rather than collaboration".

It is felt that this leads to confusion and misunderstanding. Comments emphasise the "multiplicity of agencies and the confusion this causes the public as well as the difficulties it engenders in terms of communication and accountability".

BARRIERS TO PROGRESS

To move from current realities in rural Scotland to future visions, it is necessary to overcome a number of barriers. Some barriers can be seen to stem from within communities and from essential characteristics of rural areas such as remoteness and sparsity of population. Most relate to the broader context within which communities operate and, in particular, the performance of the institutions who shape this context.

EMPLOYMENT

A "lack of employment opportunities" and the often low quality and wages of existing jobs are seen as important barriers to vibrant and healthy communities. The barriers to job creation tend to be laid at the door of general economic trends which may have a magnified or skewed effect on peripheries. Aspects of national economic policy come in for criticism; "Market forces" and "commercialisation" for example are associated with a withdrawal and centralisation of economic activity. The privatisation programme has resulted in the loss of large numbers of skilled employees, and a loss of such employment opportunities, as BT, Hydro-Electric, Forestry Commission and so on centralise their activities and withdraw from regional and local centres.

In sectors such as agriculture and fisheries, it is recognised that the ability of national government to engage in reform of European common policies is of paramount importance.

The scope to develop alternative economic models, based on local resources, is seen as hampered by an internal lack of "confidence", "vision", "management skills", and "local capital", and external factors such as "inflexible", "unsympathetic" and "restrictive" policies and planning controls.

HOUSING

The ability of people to stay in, or enter, a rural area is severely restricted by the "lack of affordable housing", its limited availability, the lack of choice and poor quality.

The poor condition of the rented housing sector and the poor quality and security of tied housing compound this problem. The "right-to-buy" policy is seen as having a detrimental effect.

A typical view was that: "Solutions to the housing problem are retarded by the high cost of construction in rural areas, the lack of available land and the cost of infrastructural and other services ... There is also a lack of provision of special units to take account of the requirements of care in the community".

TRANSPORT

The high cost and lack of choice in transport presents barriers to the social and economic activities of individuals. The disproportionate amount of the household budget spent on transport reduces spending in other areas.

Transport costs are also a serious constraint on the capacity of rural businesses to import and export. They have a knock on effect on other prices causing a "rural inflation".

SERVICES

Where this is a lack of affordable child care in rural areas this limits the ability of parents to take part in social and economic life. It is also seen as a serious hindrance to volunteer work and community involvement generally.

The perceived inflexibility of service delivery compromises its ability to meet diverse and changing local needs. The ability of the benefit system is to respond to the flexible, seasonal, pluriactive work patterns prevalent in rural areas is questioned. There is a feeling that more could be done in the way of setting and meeting "targets" and "standards".

The role of existing rural institutions such as schools and post offices in providing, or having the potential to provide, a wide range of services was felt to be worthy of recognition. Barriers to multiple use stemming from over-narrow rules and inflexible budgets would need to be overcome to fulfil this role. Better use of existing community "centres" is seen as vital in overcoming restrictions on peoples' access to services caused by a "lack of information".

Nationally pursued policies such as privatisation are seen to be particularly inappropriate for rural services. The privatisation of utilities and their subsequent performance is seen as contrary to rural interests. Vital public services are left without a "social remit". Similarly, the pursuit of ideas such as "internal markets" and "market testing" are seen as contrary to effective service delivery.

RESOURCES

The limitations placed on funding for rural areas are an obvious constraint, but so to is the way that it is spent; "the main barrier is money" ... "is how to spend the money". In terms of absolute amounts it is felt that an important barrier is the lack of a "level playing field" with rural funding. Behind this is an inadequate understanding of the comparative situations based on equal and sensitive indicators. There is a suspicion that the seriousness of the rural situation is masked by "hidden disadvantage".

To access available resources, people must go through procedures that are themselves seen as a barrier: "The system of funding is deficient with respect to co-ordination" ... "a multiplicity of sources" ... "there is an obsession with the process rather than the product" ... "Individuals and communities have to allocate considerable time and resources to accessing funding rather than developing an idea or a project".

Limited access to resources is seen as stemming from a "lack of influence and ownership over land and property; for example the sale of forestry assets outwith the area". Greater emphasis is placed on land tenure arrangements as a constraint on the availability and productive use of land-based resources, than as a barrier to good stewardship:

"The land market, tenure and ownership system militates against access to, and availability of, land. This extends to the foreshores, owned and controlled by the Crown Estate Commissioners, and inhibits appropriate development. Land going out of crofting and the inability to create new crofts entails that fewer people have access to land holdings. The requirement to create a new form of landholding system, therefore, becomes desirable".

INTEGRATION AND CO-ORDINATION

People and agencies feel hampered by a lack of clarity on the context within which they work. A "clear policy lead from government" is called for. The absence of policy or strategy is perhaps most keenly felt in the area of transport and is perceived as a principal barrier to overcoming the numerous problems associated with this.

A major barrier to the effective formulation and delivery of policy is the "lack of integration and co-operation between and within agencies, both national and local". There is "conflict between organisations; for example tourism and housing ... a lack of communication". "Issues fall between agencies". Grant structures are thought to reflect this "fragmented approach" and militate against integration and diversity at a local level.

Genuine partnerships with a role for diverse interests are undermined by the unequal status of 'community' partners: "The role of the voluntary sector ... is undervalued and underfunded which prevents it from realising its full potential". Community involvement is seen as being too heavily dependent on the goodwill and free time of individuals. Genuine involvement is seen as being conditional on more support and skills being made available to communities.

The lack of a social remit in some agencies is seen as limiting their ability to engage effectively in rural development. It is felt that there is "Nobody to promote human beings". The political, and especially financial, timetables of organisations can be at odds with rural communities who do not work to a financial year.

LOCAL DEMOCRACY

The prospects for a better understanding of local needs and aspirations, and for more appropriate policies and measures to meet these, are seen as seriously curtailed by the weaknesses of local institutions, and the failure to redress these. This contributes to feelings of "powerlessness", "apathy", "lack of confidence" and "unaccountability".

"Lack of local democracy" ... "No subsidiarity in decision making"... "Policies made elsewhere" ... "Distance from decision makers"

"ineffective methods for community involvement".

"the role of community councillors is not always representative".

SKILLS AND TRAINING

Limited access to training, because of poor provision or under resourcing, and its quality are seen as barriers to improving the skill base in rural areas.

Training that is "not tailored to local conditions" results in skills that don't meet the needs of the local economy. The "loss of local apprenticeships" further compromises the match between training and needs. With increasing emphasis on community involvement and 'bottom up' approaches, training in "community development action and leadership" would enhance important skills.